Which Camera Is Best For Rapid Video Blogging?

I’ve had this question maybe a thousand times: “Which camera is the best camera?”

And it’s always kinda hard to give a straight answer.

The thing is, there are simply SO many different cameras out there, and each one of them pretty much has it’s own purpose. For example, some cameras are more appropriate for TV, while others are more appropriate for personal home videos. Etc, etc, etc…

So, today I talk about two fantastic little cameras that do a GREAT job *for their intended purpose*! It’s the Kodak Zi8 Vs Flip!

Maybe you’ve had some experience with one or both of these two cameras and you can share some of your ideas with the rest of us?

Transcript Of Today’s Video

One of the questions I get most often is what camera to use for online video. Well there is a simple answer to that. It really depends on what you are trying to achieve online.

There are basically a million different answers for a million different questions when it comes to cameras. There are so many different cameras to choose from and it’s actually quite daunting. What I’ll try to do is I’ll try to make it really simple.

I teach a method called Rapid Video Blogging which allows you to create videos super fast and help you get results rapidly. That’s where the rapid comes from.

There are two cameras in particular that is at the top of my list for rapidly creating videos and it’s for a particular kind of video. The two cameras that I’m talking about are the Flip Ultra HD camera and also the Kodak Zi8.

They’re very similar in terms of performance but I wanted to do a quick review of both of them and compare the two so you could see the difference between them; and also my preferences and maybe you’ve got your own preferences too.

I just want to say that these cameras are good for what they are being used for, and that is for creating videos rapidly for the internet. So they are not used for creating Hollywood type videos. They are not used for creating huge, hour-long, 2 hour-long, 3-hour long videos. They are great for those short quick clips on YouTube and for getting nice and clear quality videos and getting them up really quickly.

So without further ado, let me do a quick review for these two cameras so that you can get a feel for the differences between them.

First thing I want to talk about is the video quality. For both of them I think they perform actually quite similar. The Flip Ultra HD records in 720p which is great for the internet, in fact that is HD for YouTube. The Kodak Zi8 records in 720p as well but you do have the option to go up to 1080p as well.

So in terms of size, the Kodak wins. But in terms of actual video quality when you play back on the internet, it’s pretty similar. There’s not too much difference between the two. So that’s in terms of video quality, I think they are pretty much equal in that sense.

The second thing I want to look at is the sound quality of the two cameras. In that department I think the Kodak wins; and the reason for that is because it has a little external microphone jack that you can plug a power microphone into, for example. That’s really handy if you are a little bit further away from the camera and you still want to have a good sound.

Of course the Flip camera does not have an external mic jack. So you kind of stuck with the sound that you get from the camera. But there is a fix. What I normally do is I use an external voice recorder. I plug a little power microphone into that and I record the sound separately.

One of my favorites is the Edirol voice recorder from Roland and it does a fantastic job. It’s quite expensive, about 500 bucks so it’s not a great entry level product. But there’s plenty of other voice recorders around that can do a very similar job. So I record that separately and just match up the sound afterwards during the editing. That fixes the sound for the Flip.

So the Kodak wins there but you can fix the Flip with another voice recording device.

What about file format and the storage of the two cameras. Well, the Flip camera has its little flip thing there so it’s very easy to get the files to your computer. It records in mp4 format and that works on both PC and Mac. It’s great format for editing on most editing programs and it pretty much just works in most applications.

The Kodak records in an .mov format and it does have some space to record on the camera itself but mostly you record on an SD drive with SD card, like this over here. You can go up to 32 gigabytes with that. So that’s pretty cool, it gives you a little more option to record longer files if you want to and more footage.

Also it has the old USB thing to plug in to your computer. It’s not as nice as the Flip camera to use, not as easy but it does give you that extra feature as well.

The Flip on the other hand only records up to 8 gigabytes as a maximum and it just records straight onto the camera so you don’t have the option of the SD card. So in that department I think the Flip actually takes it as the winner there, if that’s important to you.

For my situation, I don’t really care cause most of my videos are only about 10 minutes long in any case so I don’t need to record really long videos or a lot of videos. Seriously two hours is long enough to record for me on this little camera.

What about ease of use? How easy to use the two different cameras?

Well, both of them are actually really easy to use but in terms of winning in my mind at least, I think the Flip takes the prize. There are only four buttons in total on the camera. The main one is the big red one for recording, starting and stopping. You can also play back and delete and there is an On/OFF switch as well and of course the navigation buttons too.

But it’s really really simple to use, very straightforward. Almost impossible to do something wrong with this camera. It’s really just point and shoot. You just turn it on, press the record and you’re ready to go.

With the Kodak on the other hand, it’s little bit more complicated. It’s got a whole bunch more features to confuse you but also to give you extra functionality. But it’s not as easy to use. It’s got a whole bunch of buttons on the back. It takes a little bit of time to figure out what all the buttons do.

It’s not a big deal if you like extra features then Kodak is a nice option for that sort of thing. But in my view, in terms of ease of use, the Flip takes the prize for that.

Finally I want to talk about the look and feel for the camera, which may not be as important for you but for me it is. There’s one thing about the Flip that I really like and that is there’s got a flat bottom surface. They both have a little area where you can screw that into a tripod which is pretty cool.

The problem with the Kodak though is that it doesn’t have a flat bottom so you can’t stand it up on a table or something if you don’t have a tripod. With the Flip you can. The Flip in terms of design, is for me a much better fit. It fits really nicely into your hands. It’s got nice rounded corners, it’s just the right size for me. That’s why I don’t like the Mino as well but the Flip camera is great in terms of just the way it looks and feels.

The Kodak once again is not as user friendly in terms of flat surface there and it’s quite thin and I think it’s easy to drop. That’s maybe a subjective thing and you might think differently but that’s how I perceive the difference between the two.

There’s one more thing that I want to talk about that is quite important and that is the battery use or the power for the two different devices.

For the Flip Ultra HD, I really love that you can have a rechargeable battery pack that’s two AA size batteries. What that means is, yes you can recharge those ones but you can also use normal AA batteries when those run out of juice. That’s very cool specially if you’re out on the field, and you’re recording and you run out of battery power. Just take a few AA batteries with you and replace them and you’re ready to go again.

The Kodak on the other hand, comes with a rechargeable battery that is not your standard sizes. So that’s a bit of a pain if you run out of power. You ought to need the exact one of those ones or you’re stuck.

I think they are quite cheap to replace anyway but it’s still not as nice as the AA size batteries that you can get with the Flip. And that’s another reason why I recommend the Flip Ultra HD as opposed to the Flip Mino because you have that nice option with the batteries.

Overall you might have guessed that my choice is the Flip Ultra HD camera and you know they are basically quite similar. I mean there’s not too much difference in terms of performance, in terms of ease of use, in terms of recording and getting the files onto your computer and editing it.

One thing I must say about the Kodak that I’ve just noticed with one of my members is that it doesn’t work straight on PC with Sony Vegas. You first need to convert the files into a different format before you can do the editing properly on Sony Vegas. That’s a bit of a pain because it adds the extra step on the process; whereas the Flip, it just works straight off.

So that’s a quick review, a quick comparison between the Flip Ultra HD and the Kodak Zi8 . Once again they are both great cameras; they’ll both do a really fantastic job for you.

Bottomline is for me it’s the Flip Ultra HD. It’s just because there’s a number of things that I prefer and it’s super simple to use.

I hope you found that a useful review of the two little cameras and I hope that it makes easier for you to decide between the two cameras or whether even any of them is appropriate on what you want to do online.

I’ve just released a new report called Rapid Video Blogging where it goes through my whole method that I use for creating videos rapidly, getting views on YouTube, driving those people back to my website, building my email list and in the end making a 6-figure income.

If you want to get access to this report, it’s totally free just go on to RapidVideoBlogging.com you can download your own free copy there at no charge.

About Gideon Shalwick

Gideon Shalwick is a YouTube and video marketing expert, and has figured out how to get a TON of attention using online video (with one YouTube channel reaching 10 million views!), and today, he's built a following of over 100,000 people for his business ventures, and 60,000+ people on this very blog, where he shares some of his most powerful video marketing strategies.

[..YouTube..] Hi Gideon,
Thanks for the great review. 2 thins that I would like to mention is a) with the Kodak Zi8, you don;t need to use the USB port to dowlnload your files. Downloading is easily accomplished by simply plugging your HD card into a card reader which you can get free when you buy certain HD cards. Secondly, I I use Sony Vegas 10 for editing and have not experienced any problems integrating the two. All in all your videos are very informative and the type camera is just a personal choice.

There is no way of getting around the 12 min recording limit that I am aware of. But for short YouTube videos this is not an issue for me. Even for longer videos, I just make sure I use breaks often. And when you have a remote control, this is achieved really easy, because you just press stop, and start again. And then you just add it all during editing. Pretty seamless

And I got my T2i for around $1,500 (Australian) which included 2 kit lenses.

Hi,
Consider a “tether” (firewire cable) to send the vdo directly to your hard drive from the Canon.

Shooting/syncing wild sound with a digital recorder is easy and provides better audio than an on-camera mic.
I recommend a SONY ICD-BX700 which has an efficient user interface similar to the Flip Ultra HD.

BTW: Your lighting is excellent. People forget how important the lighting is. You have a nice backlight/hairlight to separate you from the background in addition to a shallow depth-of-field.

I like the flip with the ease of use and that is why I bought one a week ago. I haven’t found the best way to upload to YouTube, but I am using the flip software. Once it is done uploading and processing then I am changing all of the fields for the video.

I have a windows 7 computer that I installed Live Movie Maker and a MAC with IMOVIE HD. I am still experimenting on what to use.

Hi Gideon, and thanks for this review.
The obvious question:
which camera do you use for videos like the one I have just watched?

I seem to remember you use a Canon or Nikon or am I wrong?
I am not an expert of digital stuff nor computers but I think that if one is serious about blogging professionally and uses videos, they should go for very good quality at some stage. I saw many comparative test footage with the the two cameras but they are no more than ok. These two machines you’ve reviewed could be a great way to start and practice but then quality should dictate the choice. I think if spending 3 times more gives you, say, AT LEAST 3 times better quality (I know, difficult to quantify, but it is just an example), it is worth going for it. And believe me, I’m not rich at all, but those good quality videos in your blog will be there to stay and will make a difference that in the long term will pay off dividends. Just my opinion and still very undecided which one to choose.

Don’t see a lot of reviews in the comments. I’m not too familiar with the Kodak camera, but I do own the Flip Ultra… It’s a good camera, for the imagery, and if you upload directly to YouTube, it recognizes the files as being HD. The audio is good, but if you are more than 2 feet away from the camera, then you know the audio isn’t going to be of professional grade, so depending on what you use the camera for, it may not be appropriate.

Since I’m at work, I actually haven’t seen your video, yet, but, I know the Zi8 has an external jack for audio, and that is priceless for seemingly professional audio (if you use it correctly)…

Thanks Gideon…I would say that having the external microphone plug in is a huge bonus for the Kodak.
It’s one of the rare model out there offering that handy feature.
I think this is something a newbie would rather have, versus recording the sound separately?
And Sound for me is almost as important as the image in a video. You might have crappy image sometimes, but if the sound is good, it comes across properly with professionalism.

Hi Gideon, one thing you didnt touch one,and i bought the Kodak,with all the accesories,extra battery,down to the car charger, all under 150.dollars on sale at amazon,,But that also included the REMOTE CONTROL,, i was ready to go flip,but no car charger,and if you forget and stop n a 7-11 and the AA batteries,You need to take a 2nd Mortage!!!!!!!!,not like a Home depot or walmart,, But the remote sold me!!!!!!!! and the flip would of been 30 bucks more,no external Mike, !!!!!! Remote,and Both charging,anf rhe 3 year waretee,and hard carring case,Kodak really stepped up to the plate!!!!! Thanks for all the great Tips!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey Gideon: Thanks for the great review! Thought I’d add my 2-cents since I’ve had a Kodak Zi8 for about a month now, and I’m actually using it as part of your Rapid Video Blogging Program (which, by the way, is an awesome program).

First off, I totally agree with some of the downsides of the Kodak Zi8 you mentioned, especially that it doesn’t use off-the-shelf batteries. However, one reason I purchased the camera (and this is simply a difference in how you and I use it) was because it took an SD card. I find it easier to pull out the card and insert it into my card reader to copy over clips, and in the field (for family movies), it’s nice having an extra chip in my pocket if I’m shooting 1080p and run out of space.

Also, I’m using Sony Vegas Pro 8.1 (haven’t upgraded to 9.0 yet), and have no issues in pulling in the native MOV files that come from the camera. Perhaps it’s because I also have Quicktime Pro installed??? Not sure…

Anyway, I’m very happy with the Zi8, but frankly, what I took away from your review was that both cameras get the job done, and are really very similar.

Finally… let me mention one issue I have, and ask if the Flip HD also has issues with this. In SOME of my videos, taken indoor with inexpensive lighting (hard ware store pan lights), I’ve noticed that when I start the camera and then enter the scene to record a “rapid blog”, the Automatic Face Detection feature will find my face, and change the exposure. That’s fine, but when I turn my head, it must “re-find” something else in the scene, and the exposure darkens briefly, and then brightens up again. In turning the AFD off, the exposure tends to be “over-exposed” unless I really play with the lights.

I’ve done different things with the lights to help compensate for this, but it does cause issues. Does the Flip HD have any similar issues that you have seen?

Thanks Gideon… again, for anyone who hasn’t taken any of his programs, you’re missing out!!!!

Hi Gideon,
When recording your audio separately how do you sync the audio and video tracks accurately?. I’ve tried to do this but it seems extremly fiddly compared to using an external microphone in the first place.
Thanks
Simon

Gideon uses a Canon 550D DSLR for many of his videos. The DSLR’s lenses provide excellent control over depth of field giving sharp focus on the person with the soft out-of-focus background. It also has an external mic input and an 18mp sensor and FullHD recording. In simple terms…quality (and it shows).

I’d like to add also that the Canon T2i 550D, while a fantastic camera, take quite a bit of getting used to. It’s definitely note a camera for beginners. That’s what make the Flip Ultra HD and Kodak Zi8 cameras such great cameras for people just starting out – so easy to use!

The latest version (10) of Vegas Movie Studio DOES process Zi8 files without converting them. My guess is that the next version of Sony Vegas Pro will too.

For me, the deal-breaker on these cameras is the external mic jack on the Zi8. It’s also nice to have the option of additional memory cards. The Zi8 also has image stabilization; however, since I only use the camera on a tripod for blog videos, either camera would work for me.

I own the Kodak Zi8. It’s a great camera for the price, but needs a lot of light to produce really sharp images. Testing it indoor I have found that the video looked a little blurry after uploading to youtube. Switching to HD mode in the youtube player did help to sharpen up the picture a bit.

Having an external mic jack is a great plus. I bought an inexpensive clip-on mic, the Audio-Technica ATR 3350. Sound quality is good, however it only records in mono, meaning that sound only comes from one speaker when watching the recorded video. The cure for this is to use an editting software that can duplicate channels or create a mono audio output (I use Pinnacle Studio 12 Ultimate for this). Or you can by a cheap stereo to mono jack adapter.

Great video. I have a Flip ULTRA HD and love it for all the reasons recommended. The battery life is a drawback, but as you pointed out can be remedied easily.

A bigger quality issue was with the audio, as many of your viewers have mentioned. My fix for this is a Sony ICD-UX71 voice recorder (under $75) and your choice of lapel mics (I use a Sony stereo condenser mic)…. works great when synced together.

I have de Flip Mino HD and really I enjoy the simplicity and the power of this camera.
For quick video to upload on Internet, it’s the top.
I didn’t test it outside yet but I think that it’s unusual to exceed one hour for a film!

Thanks for the link to this video, really appreciate it. Two new questions 1. what did you use to film this video the flip? 2. How do you achieve the low aprature (blurry background) look? Is that done with the camera or with the editing software?

[..YouTube..] I started off with the regular (non HD) Flip camera. They are much less expensive since the HD version came out. I use a RCA digital voice recorder I paid less than $40 for. It has a microphone input, records in wave format, and has a pop out USB connection. It’s a step down from what you have but you can still upload in HD with a couple editing tricks.

I think the Kodak is the BEST videocamera. That being said, I ended up with a refurbished Sony Webbie, because it’s the ONLY one that lets you see how you’re framed in the video! It has a viewing screen that “flips” while the others don’t. Wish they did.

Gideon,
I am doing your Video Course (Great Material!!) and ran into the same problem with videos from my Zi8 converting to Sony Vegas. But found a couple of fixes on the net. The thing is that the Zi8 is ding well in the reviews compared to other cameras. Plus I like the mic jack which lowers initial investment. But we will see.
Mark

I’m glad that you finally released RVB when you did, since I’d just gotten a cheap RCA voice recorder anyway and your method of syncing them up has *vastly* improved the sound quality on my videos. Add in some of your recording and setup tips from the course and all is well.

I’m still using my flip mino (HD came out a week after I purchased it) but I was chatting with a friend last week that’s a sound engineer and he’s going to lend me his mino HD to try out.

My website partner and I record a weekly podcast from our separate locations. We use Skype to talk to each other and webcams to record ourselves. We’re always looking for ways to increase our production quality and have been considering testing with our Flips. What has us stumped, however, is how to communicate via Skype while recording the video on an external camera. What are we overlooking?

Thanks for your review. I really enjoyed it.
I recently purchased the Kodak Zi8 and I absolutely love it. I think it is a lot better than the Flip camera, because of the following
– it has a remote controller
– fantastic image stabilisation so you can record in the car
– ability to connect an external microphone, which is great as you don’t have to fiddle with recording your voice separately
– you can take the SD card out and put it directly into your computer or TV card slot
– great camera for holidays as it is small but you can record upto 10 hrs of HD video (as it has removable SD card) so you don’t have to worry about transferring your clips onto some storage device
– you can recorded in 720 HD not only at 30 fps but also at 60fps which is really good for fast moving objects like sport, kids playing etc
– it has ability to record in 1080 which is true HD
– I bought a spare battery for $5 on ebay that works perfectly
– it’s got a car charger
– small foldable table-top tripod was included for standing it up
– paid AUD$230 (excluding the SDHC card) which is a steal for such a versatile little camera
By the way I absolutely loved your Rapid Video Blogging Report!!!!!!!!!!!!

I personally like the Creative Vado better than Zi or Flip. It has audio in and much better picture (good skin tone balance in high and low light situations). Also has an underwater case accessory which is just plain fun.

Great review Gideon…You share awesome information! I love the quality of the video on this page as well. Planning to implement much more video in the future and I really appreciate the editing suggestions from the previous reports!

Thanks for the informative video. I am not an expert in audio video equipment but very enthusiastic to keep up with the digital technology development. How about Sony bloggie? Have you or anyone in the forum had an experience with it? Sony Bloggie CM5 looks interesting with swivel LCD but unfortunately record only mono audio.

I also notice that you said you use Roland voice recorder which costs 500 bucks. Why not just buy an HD vid cam like Sony HDR CX110 as well which cost less than 500 bucks? Just my 2 cents ….

Daniele, Thank You for the Compliment, But I have a Great Boss,(ME),LOL, Just call it like i see em, one thing i did forget to add that ive been playing,is the remote, as ive read,is only supposed to work from one side,NOPE!, works on either side of the camera!,with makes it even BETTER!,,Thanks again, If this economy doesnt pick up,sure,Ill take the job,and Im not lieing,
about the camera,or the economy!,Jack

[..YouTube..] @ericsurf6 Hey Eric – business is going GREAT! Actually, I was thinking about you the other day… and that you might enjoy my latest report (Rapid Video Blogging) – it could help leverage your following on YouTube tremendously and help you make quite a bit more money in the process. Have you met up with Jay Jay yet?

I wish this came out sooner because I pulled the trigger and bought the Flip HD on Amazon right after your first video. Would have been nice to check out the Kodak; yes, the lack of a microphone jack concerns me but we’ll see.
One thing about the Flip I noticed is that, due to its design it’s easy to smudge the lens when handling it, especially if you take it out of its carrying case so be careful not to do this.

Hi Gideon,
I use a Zoom Q3 which has a 3 point mount on the base, High quality stereo sound recording (Selectable), uses AA batteries either rechargeable or alkaline, has an SD card slot, a built in USB cable and comes complete with editing and sharing software. You can record your video and within minutes it will be uploaded to Youtube. It actually records in MP4 format but if you use “Any Video Converter” available as freeware, you can convert it to almost anything. The trouble I have and I suspect others do to is, if you post it on a remote server for viewing on your own website in order to give you quick download/viewing speed when your connection is not that fast (Like most of rural UK), you have to convert it to FLV or another compressed format so really it does not matter what quality you record at originally, by the time the viewing public see it, it’s lost some quality.
Like others have asked, I would like to know what this video was recorded using but also software, format, storage solution and whether the part time blogger with limited time and resource could match your high quality.

Thanks Gideon! I use the Flip and really like it, just wish it had an external mic because sometimes when I shoot outdoors it’s hard to hear me over the background noise or because I’m far away (I shoot fitness vids so often need my whole body!).

And now, just to make our decision a little harder, along comes JVC with a very cool new camera. It seems to have all the necessary features, plus I really like the idea of the touchscreen controls. It’s not available until August 27, but hopefully we’ll hear more about it soon.

I started off with the regular (non HD) Flip camera. They are much less
expensive since the HD version came out. I use a RCA digital voice recorder
I paid less than $40 for. It has a microphone input, records in wave
format, and has a pop out USB connection. It’s a step down from what you
have but you can still upload in HD with a couple editing tricks.

Great video and very valid commentary… Also I think the new Creative Vado can be a worthy contender in this category, perhaps?

I’d like your opinion on one other thing though, perhaps in a future video. What do you think of using cell phones to capture video? Some of these phones are carrying optics and memory and other tech quite on par with these Flip type cameras… The upcoming Nokia N8 and N9 (with promised 720p HD video) especially could be quite good for on the go type of filming, at least.

Great presentation Gideon. And informative. It was really a big help.
A side note: I’m sure someone of influence will be contacting you to become a spokes person for a great product in the near future!
Keep up the good work.

Hi all,
The Kodak was my first video camera and it’s nice if you want a simple mobile HD camera. I also bought it because of the rare mic input. It works fine with proper lighting and a tripod indoors but now I only use it for outdoor shots. The format is great, like a mobile phone. For more serious work I use a Canon HF200, which also has a mic input. I’m really satisfied with that camera, check out my website to check out the result. A cheap condenser mic works fine, no need for any fancy voice recorder and the sync procedure.

[..YouTube..] Hi Gideon, I bought myself a Kodak ZI8 for that very fact that it had a mic input. I was ready to upgrade to a second, better quality camera but found it difficult to located one with a mic input, and the one’s that did were super expensive. After reading your rapid video blogging report where you use a digital recorder to capture your voice, then sync it to the video, that was the best tip I have seen like….forever.

Great video. I personally use and like the Creative Vado HD and it definitely compares well with the Zi8 and the Flip HD.

For those who are interested, I recently put together a short video at the Canadian Auto Show where I film the same scene with my Blackberry Curve 8900, Sony Cybershot Digital Camera, and my Creative Vado HD pocket camera…the results are very interesting:

For me, the microphone jack was the deciding factor. I got the Kodak.
I got a wired lav mic and and 8GB SD card and now have a great system for making YouTube videos for less than $150 US. You may be able to find a cheap tabletop tripod at a dollar store to hold it for those that don’t have any tripod. For lights, I got 3-4 clamp-on lights and some daylight compact florescent bulbs at a local hardware store.
Not a big investment and now I have the ability to start making videos. Still learning as I use it.

I have the Zi8 and think it is a great, little camera. One thing to keep in mind with this camera – the file format you’re shooting in is .mov. I have tried to work with these files in Vegas Movie Studio, but the files don’t play nice with VMS. Either you get the video but not the audio, or vice versa. But the .mov files can be edited in Adobe Premiere Elements 8, which is what I use. In fact, I’ve found it easier to work with Elements than it is to work with VMS, in general. VMS may be slightly more robust, but you can do a lot with Elements.

Try installing the FFDSHOW free codecs from http://www.ffdshow.info and that should most likely address the missing video issue in Sony Vegas Movie Studio.

For those who haven’t used Vegas Movie Studio HD before, it is an excellent and affordable (around $45 – and comes with a 30 day free trial) video editing package from Sony. I’ve put together a video tutorial a while back that covers the basic features of movie studio…my favourite feature is the ability to upload directly to YouTube after you’re done your editing:

Thanks for all the help on videos. You’re amazing. I’ve started using ScreenFlow and love it for my desktop stuff. One problem, though, when I hook up a camera to it and make the “video” part full screen during editing, the video is pixeled. What to do? If I use a flipcamera, then I can’t upload it into screenflow. So, what camera do you recommend that will have high enough resolution so the video won’t be grainy when I take the video that Screenflow is recording from and make THAT video full screen (over the desktop) during the editing stage of Screenflow?
Matt

Thanks, Gideon! I’ll read it today!! ~ I finally figured out how to import a video from the Flip Camera into Screenflow, but when I exported it so that I could make a DVD with it on iDVD, the quality was disgusting.
Matt

[..YouTube..] Hi Gideon, great review – covered all the bases. What are your thoughts on the Iphone 4? Also, I don’t have an RCA voice recorder but do have a recorder adapter for my ipod – which I guess is another option (although it eats up battery!)

What a great dialogue we’ve got going on here about these wonderful 2 cameras. I am impressed with both cameras. I own and use both cameras. I also own and use a variety of other cameras all for different purposes. You really hit the nail on the head when you said the ZI-8 and the Flip are best for ‘rapid’ videos for the web. That is exactly what I use them for, my web vids, tips of the day, etc. I tend to pull out the FlipCam much more often from my pocket because of its ease of use. But… when I know I need good clean audio I plug in my external mic.

[..YouTube..] Hi nice review! I’m a student filmmaker just about to start film school! I already own a decent camera for “PROPER” filmmaking but am looking for a new small camera for little videos like behind the scenes and that kind of thing. Untill your review i have been in favour of the ZI8 but after your review i’m not so sure. I do think though that the bad points about the ZI8 don’t really play much of a negative to me and i definitely prefer having the audio out jack. Thanks for the good review.

Hey Gideon:
Good stuff. Recently joined your list and have been watching some of your vids. I scoured your website, but couldn’t find anything related to the use of external mics and integration w/ videos. Most likely, I wasn’t searching right. Forgive me for posting on this thread so late.

Well, you’re pulling in a few hot commenters yourself:) It’s fab. Obviously you’re da man for video (tho I was in that chat on a Fri arvo with Darren where you were admiring his 2 camera set up!) Can’t wait to sort out my book and start a bit of vid blogging. Lovely to meet you last night and see you in the flesh so to speak:)

I have a Zi8 and I’m shooting a reality show pilot. I want to shoot the very best Video and Audio with it that can be used as “broadcast” quality for a small cable network. Is this possible? Especially with the Audio plug in? What exactly do you recommend I purchase for the audio part (mics, mixer, etc). I need to record with at least two mics in a scene or a boom-type device. I know this is a lot to ask, but can you tell me what to get and will it be good enough for a cable tv network? Thanks!!!

Hmmm. I think think if you want to shoot broadcast quality video for TV, you may need a broadcast quality video camera for TV. The Zi8 will do an ok job, but it will never be as good as the broadcast video cameras.

In saying that though, you can get some pretty darn good results with just the Zi8 or the Flip Ultra HD, especially when you consider how affordable they are. And when you use my solution for the sound, or something similar, the end result can be really beautiful.

[..YouTube..] This was the best camera review i have seen on YouTube ever! Thanks! And i just wanted to say that converting MOV files is one of the worst decisions i’ve ever made. You loose 25% quality always and it always darkens the image. Thought i’d let you all in on that. Can’t wait to get my Flip Ultra!

[..YouTube..] @wilsvlog The new Flip has a port where you can plug things into. For example, you can plug in the Mikey from Blue Microphones which then allows you to plug in an external mic. Really cool – I am getting one soon!

Can the Kodak Zi8 upload to youtube, without killing the quality, because I was reading youtube does not like .mov files. For simply youtube purposes, is the Flip or Zi8 going to give me better output? Thanks!

Hi. I have a few questions about the lenses of the cameras. In a review a read elsewhere of the zi8, the reviewer said the zi8 could not focus from 15″ to 39″. In addition, I saw the specs of the Flip that said it can focus from 1.5m to infinity. 1.5m = 59″ which is almost five feet. Does that mean the Flip can’t focus on anything that is less than five feet away? That doesn’t sound right to me. I have been leaning towards buying the zi8 but have been considering the Flip if the Flip because, like I said, the Kodak can’t focus on anything between 15″ and 39″ Anyway, I’m still a bit confused so I’d like to know from you what you think about this issue. Thanks a lot!

Basically… in general with cameras, the more you pay, the better camera you get!

With the Flip and Kodak cameras, while they are great, they do come with their own limitations.

I have not had any focus issues with the Flip as you described. What I always recommend is if you can go into the shop and test out the camera that you are researching, that always helps – just to make sure it does what you want it to do.

Thanks for inviting me to comment. Indeed it is a very nice video. I used to own a Flip HD (first generation) but the software comes with it really screws up my PC. I think it was a bug that always corrupts some of the files. It ends up I sold it and replace with another camcorder. I never use Kodak but from what you share, I think I’ll go for Kodak for one very important reason – the external jack for stereo microphone. I think buying a good recorder for Flip can be a pain (in terms of costs).

[..YouTube..] Quite unrelated question:
How do you make your camcorder to focus on your face, and not on the background?
Is it a feature of your camcorder? Or is it a specific kind of lens for a specific focal point?
I am using a Canon Vixia HF-S100 to record some tutorial videos, and I want to have the same effect.
Thanks.

[..YouTube..] This is a ridiculous review. The reviewer’s opinion on the cameras seems biased to the point where it could be considered trolling. Having more options than four buttons can be “confusing?” Many of the categories were clearly weighed in the direction of the Flip camera even when the Kodak was clearly better. This removed all credibility and made him look like a dumbass.

[..YouTube..] @unspecialfish you are right – I am biased – although, there is nothing in it for me, the Flip is really just what I like to use personally. I’ve tried the Kodak, but it’s not as nice to use (for me). But I am sure others will disagree… as is expected. Thanks for your input though.

This is a ridiculous review. The reviewer’s opinion on the cameras seems
biased to the point where it could be considered trolling. Having more
options than four buttons can be “confusing?” Many of the categories were
clearly weighed in the direction of the Flip camera even when the Kodak was
clearly better. This removed all credibility and made him look like a
dumbass.

@unspecialfish you are right – I am biased – although, there is nothing
in it for me, the Flip is really just what I like to use personally. I’ve
tried the Kodak, but it’s not as nice to use (for me). But I am sure others
will disagree… as is expected. Thanks for your input though. Gideon
Shalwick

Very nice comparison of two great products. While you prefer the Flip HD, you use a separate recording device for audio. That would be a BIG drawback to me because you need to sync the lip movements with the sound in editing, which is not easy to do, unless you have some trick up your sleeve that you haven’t told us about.

[..YouTube..] If mine will stay on the tripod 99% of the time would the older model have a better picture? Seems like the reviews mostly say the new model compresses the file a lot more to get the 60fps and image stabilization. The reviews on youtube show the new one doesn’t do as well in low light but not a concern. I’m buying a 3rd gen ultra hd or old one soon.
I was thinking the Kodak but they seem to show red as orange on the videos I’ve watched on youtube anyway.

Hello Gideon, I’m glad I found your blog! I was doing a search for remote controls for the Flip when I came across your site. I too went with the Flip Ultra HD for many of the reasons you bring up your review. I was lucky enough to find one on Craiglist, brand new still in the box for $120.

I wanted a decent camera for recording personal videos and other short videos and the webcam I have just looked terrible after compression. The Flip works great and having it produce to MP4 was critical. I use Easy Video Player and Camtasia 7 and this makes my life SO much easier.

Before I was using a Panasonic digital camera and it too saved to the smart card in .mov format. What a pain! I had to convert the video first to another format just to work with it and the audio was always out of sync with the video when I would upload it.

Thanks for a great blog and I’m looking forward to reading your Rapid Video Blogging report. Keep up the great job!

First of all – wow. You have the most detailed info in your free videos – thank you for sharing!

One question for you … do you use a video monitor while you record? You seem like you do because you are always looking right into the camera and seem like you have pretty good control over your facial expressions.

When I was just getting started, I used to use a teleprompter, but that made me feel a bit like a robot. Then I switched over to just a mindmap overview of what I wanted to talk about, printed it out and stuck it right below the camera for reference.

But more often than not these days, before I record the video, I will get very clear on what I want to say, and then I just “talk from the heart” and see what happens. Sometimes I have to record it more than once to get the essence of the message right

[..YouTube..] Well with kodak you got the option to record longer footage, that’s usually a big plus for most people so kodak should of gotten the win, you got me a bit confuse when you said ultrahd won that round, but yea flip ultra hd is more easy to use and are very good for beginners!

[..YouTube..] @unspecialfish I totally agree with you. This was a very biased review and he clearly works for Cisco. The Kodak is a more superior camera to the Flip by﻿ a long margin. The funniest part was how he preferred the limited Flip with its limited storage capacity. haha Yeah ok buddy, we believe you lol

[..YouTube..] Nice comparison. A few points though. You said that the Zi8 was a bit more complicated. The Flip had 4 buttons but the Kodak only has 5 and when you power on, it only asks what resolution to film at. I think you were a little bit biased there. Also, regarding batteries, you can get a second battery pack and an external charger, or what I just got, the “Revive solar battery pack”. Holds an extra charge and if you’re really stuck can charge your battery by solar. It was $30 on Amazon. Good review!

[..YouTube..] Nice review, you’re a natural at product reviews! Though as a Zi8 user, I was confused as to why you prefer the flip when it seemed to win most of the categories and took me 10 minutes to figure out. I was just given a Flip cam so I’ll be able to make my own comparison too.

At 4:33 you said flip but didn’t you mean to say the Zi8 was bettter in that category?

Look and feel is subjective but important. The battery issue is legit. The Zi8 is now $100!!! I bought a second one.

[..YouTube..] this sucks. the kodak is thinner and easier to drop? what the hell? and oh yeah the flip wins bc it only can hold 8gb to the camrea when the kodak can hold up to 32gb on sd card when the card doesnt make the camrea more difficult to use. and oh a whopping 1 or 2 more buttons make it so much harder to use! obviously just like the flip camrea

Reason being if you are in an outdoor location it DOES matter to have a sturdy camera with a solid hand grip which the flip offers.

As far as the SD card is concerned, The Kodak offers 32 gigs all right but that is an external component as there can be several problems of optimization and sometimes even reading problems. Since a SD card is something you buy yourself, some SD cards also require separate softwares to run thus complicating the whole thing up.

As far as your point about buttons is concerned. The review is made concerning the average user. Some people (or rather most people) might not have a problem with the buttons and some will. Since the category was ease of use so the Flip wins.
It was a comparative statement not a retort that the kodak isn’t easy to use.

And yes, at the end Gideon did say that the both are more or less the same.

Hi Gideon, Loved your video on the camera comparisons – so-o-oo useful! I would like to know if you can video yourself easily. I am currently using an Ipod camera, and it is difficult to line it up to get me in the picture. Also it cannot be put on a tripod so has to be held in the hand, and that means very closeup!!
Do the cameras you reviewed have a swivel screen so you can see what part of your face is on the screen?
Thanks again, Joan

So you record audio seperately when using the Canon, but what about when using the Zi8? What about plugging a field mixer to the Zi8 – are there any issues?
I own a Zi8 and use it for all my videos, even though I could shoot with my Pentax Kx, and I have dabbled with recording audio seperately but just cannot get the audio synched properly with Power Director. Is it easy to synch the audio with Sony Vegas Studio HD?

Good review. But one point you never discussed pricing of the cameras. Mind giving an insight into that, Otherwise awesome review.

Coming to the format issue. That’s quite basic, The Kodak records in a .mov format which is a apple quicktime movie. Not only does it have format issues with Vegas it also has rendering issues, A quicktime movie is not so comfortable sitting on a PC, However on a mac it”s a charm. So the flip is more universal recording in a .mp4 format.

One more thing to note is that the .mp4 format can be uploaded directly onto websites while the .mov format has issues (personal experience).

Otherwise performance wise both are a jewel and yes , Gideon the final render quality in nearly the same.

[..YouTube..] @basketball16468,
The new version of the Flip UltraHD has the same name: Flip UltraHD. To make sure you are getting the newest version, you have to look for “3rd generation” or U32120B (U32120W for the white version).

[..YouTube..] @lovesubscribers I used a Canon T2i for this one. But if you look at my older videos, I just used the Flip Ultra HD. The Canon T2i or other similar DSLR cameras are awesome, but they also do have their drawbacks. Eg, HUGE learning curve, more expensive than Flip or Kodak, and they only record for about 12 min max at a time. So, it’s not a beginner type of video camera

Hey Gideon
Cheers for the tip on the separate recording device, I use Kodak playsport because I like to film around water a lot. Being that I have already dropped my JVC 835 in the water, the waterproof option for me is a necessity!

The Zi8 works fine on Sony Vegas Pro. Zi8 has 720 60P which gives better recording quality and slow motion capability plus it has 1080P. It also has Macro mode where the flip cameras do not. I do like the flips feel and flat bottom better and it is simpler to use but because of the vastly better functionality and ability of the Zi8 I think it is not much of a contest as the Zi8 is just better.

The Zi8 works fine on Sony Vegas Pro. Zi8 has 720 60P which gives better
recording quality and slow motion capability plus it has 1080P. It also has
Macro mode where the flip cameras do not. I do like the flips feel and flat
bottom better and it is simpler to use but because of the vastly better
functionality and ability of the Zi8 I think it is not much of a contest as
the Zi8 is just better.

My friend got a flip and kinda topped the digital camera we used. Then I bought the Zi8(hadnt heard of it yet) but it seemed to me like the Kodak is better, he was right about the Flip being able to stand up. But the microphone option is awesome! To me the Kodak is better for making longer more important videos, but the Flip would be good for just vlogging or making a quick fun video.

[..YouTube..] Why is it that all the videos on youtube that were recorded with a Kodak Zi8 Camera. Are all really slow. They take FOREVER to load. Even when they are at 360p they take forever. But all other videos on youtube load just fine. What Is Up. Like if you pay attention to it. All the Kodak Zi8 Camera videos take a long time to load. Which makes myself wonder if I should but this camera. People wouldnt want to wait for a video to load. So people wouldnt watch my videos. Why Is This Like This.

hey great video!!!
i was wondering is the flip company out of business..
i’ve had 3 or 4 people tell me that, i was just wondering
because i really like it but im not sure if its out of business
that would kinda suck if it was because that would mean
they wouldn’t be making any new accessories.. that would be
the only down fall….but people told me the kodak is awesome too soo,
im now thinking about getting that:)

A great comparison. I was just looking at Best Buy for the Kodak but they didn’t have one so I stuck with the more well known camera, the flip. SO far I am liking it. It is perfect for collecting testimonials for my off line moving business and recording simple moving tip videos. So all in all, I enjoyed your video and its comparison and I am glad I stuck to the Flip.

I’ve read every comment on here and watched your video. I’ve read other independent review sites and also relevant CNET and Consumer Reports / videos on these cams (and more cams of course) prior. I’d like your opinion of “the best” vlogging camera for conditions comprised of the following factors:
1. Outdoor interviews in NYC (aka: LOUD background noise; interviewing a few people at-random, obviously no lighting control, stabilization MIGHT be a factor, but we don’t expect people to be moving more than “swaying” while being interviewed);
2. Indoor product reviews/interviews (aka: fast-moving subject matter will NOT be an issue, where as, the ability to zoom “close-up” on products/details/people, and receive good audio via device –without separate audio recording device– IS a factor)

Please advise. Thank you!
PS: I downloaded your FREE book and I’m having my video-editor guys review it now – I’m sure they’ll find it useful! (I will make certain to read it myself, while traveling, over the weekend).

mone my griped abput thrzi8 is when you get to the end of a scene it stops is that because it alls does stills??I asume mst will burn it in a disk like most mis the s]optical s\zeem and ,e the special efects the yellow leaves in the fall become a priiity blue

Just thought I would let you know: Sony Vegas will read these files, as long as you have Quicktime installed on your computer (giving you the codecs that are required).

I also feel like the audio wasn’t stressed enough. That is what REALLY sold the Zi8 for me. These tips are for people with a small budget, and so recommending that you buy an external voice recorder dosen’t make a lot of sense. I was able to pick up a good Sony stereo mic for under $5 and drastically improve the sound.

Hello. I accidently dropped my Sony Bloggie in water and it won’t turn on.
What do I do?
I connected it to my computer to charge and the orange light turns on but the camera STILL won’t turn on. Help me? My dad will be furious if he finds out I broke it. ;(

If you buy AA batteries from Amazon/Costco/Sam’s it works out to be almost the same in the end. Try it. I really don’t think the camera quality matters a great deal, I think that it’s more about marketing and how you market your video. It’s also about the software, this software was the biggest help that I came across in 3 years of IM :
TINYURL . COM / 7LBS28R

Good review. Very thorough. I also have the Flip and love it. I am disappointed that Cisco has discontinued it, which means support and accessories for it will diminish and eventually disappear. I do want to note that the very latest Flip Ultra HD can run on 3 AAA size batteries in lieu of the propriety battery pack.

OMG,…ridiculous review !!! your definately in the extreme minority,…. hey gideon the zi8 has better low light recording,….1080p,…. better battery,….sd card rules over internal memory,.only pocket cam on the market with mic jack, also you forgot to mention that the zi8 can be operated with a remote control !!! unlike the flip,

I think it was a gr8 review Gideon… im a kodak guy myself… but don’t worry about the haters on here.. every time you mentioned your own preference you said, “You may have a different opinion, which is fine…” when these guys have their own preference, they call you a “Dumbass”… so that just reflects on their immaturity and inability to create their own review.. so thanks.. I know a lot more about the Flip now… keep ’em coming…

Is the flip/zi8 ok for outdoor shooting or is it better to use an actual small camcorder? I want to shoot simple demonstrations at distances of 5 ft to 20 ft and still be able to get details with closeups and loud audio. Thanks for the reply.

Any of the new point and shoot cameras has great video quality. Check out the superzooms. I have a Lumix FZ200 but a used FZ150 will do a great Job. Ive had a Canon SX30, give it a miss, but a used sx40 will record great videos or the sx 50 if you want new. I got the FZ200 because is can use an external mic. I bought my dad a Sony HX200v also great for recording like this but it doesnt have an external mic. Also any of the budget DSLR’s with at least HD720 will do a great job.

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